The house Sonic built has been in full-on nostalgia mode in the last year or so. First came the well-executed Sega Mega Drive / Genesis Mini to celebrate the 16-bit console’s 30th anniversary and there’s also a Game Gear Mini on the way.
Now we’ve got an endearing mini arcade cabinet called the Astro City Mini to commemorate the Japanese giant’s 60th anniversary, Sega Driven reports.
The hand-sized cabinet features 36 of Sega’s pre-console games, with ten of the titles announced so far. It’s a tactic the firm used in gradually revealing the games for the Mega Drive Mini, so we’ll have to wait for the full line-up.
The ten games announced today are: Alien Syndrome, Alien Storm, Altered Beast, Columns II, Dark Edge, Fantasy Zone, Golden Axe, Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder, Tant R, and Virtua Fighter.
The cabinet itself has a joystick and six arcade buttons and can also be hooked up to the TV via a HDMI cable. The device will require a mains connection and there are USB slots to enable the connection of additional joysticks.
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Unfortunately, those Sega devotees in the west might miss out on this retro release, because the company has only announced a release for the home market thus far. Hopefully that’ll change as the company announces more titles and excitement for the device builds. When it arrives by the end of the year, it’ll cost 12,800 yen, which is around £95.
If Sega can manage to replicate the execution of the Mega Drive Mini, it may have another hit on its hands.
Our reviewer Thomas Deehan wrote: “Sega sticks the landing with what proves to a fantastic throwback to one of gaming’s most beloved consoles. A few missing classics and an irritatingly short controller lead prevent the Mega Drive Mini from reaching its full potential, but fans of retro gaming will feel right at home here.”
He gave the retro redo a 4-star rating and praised the inclusion of licensed games, the beautifully made replica console and controllers, and the handy widescreen mode.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.